Conventional wheelbarrows require the user to hold some of the load upright and to move the load with force. This requires the user to exert considerable, effort, which may result in wrist, back and shoulder pain.
Many patents reference wheelbarrows in the prior art. This includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,852 to Lim, for “Three Wheeled Wheelbarrow with Handle Adapter”. U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,989, to Intengan, for “Pin Drive Wheel Barrow”, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,128 to Terhune for “Wheelbarrow Construction”.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,852 discloses, a designs has a handle converter and two fixed wheels at the rear, of a traditional wheelbarrow. The handle makes it easy to push the wheelebarrow but may offer discomfort to the user since it is made of square tubing. Also, being removable it is not a permanent piece to complement the unit. Fixed rear wheels do not make it easy to maneuver as the user still needs to lift the wheelbarrow in order to turn at a sharp radius.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,989 discloses a closed loop handle which is adjustable in height, and two rear wheels which rotate 360 degrees. The handle is pivotaly mounted and has an adjusting point which over usage is susceptible to breakage due in part to the hole drilled in the closed loop handle. Also to lift and dump load continually may cause fatigue in these drilled areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,128 discloses an adjustable handle that, when released or dropped, automatically actuates the brake to restrain the rear wheels. This design contains many parts, making the unit heavy. Not only does the user have to lift the weight of the load to dump, he also has to lift the added weight of the wheelbarrow. The many features of this apparatus also may weaken it due to the many movable parts that are involved.
It would be advantageous to provide a three or four wheeled heavy duty wheelbarrow/yard cart that is stable and carries the load using two front fixed wheels. Allowing the wheelbarrow/yard cart to be steered without having to lift the load.
It would also be advantageous to provide a rounded comfortable ergonomic pushbar handle at an appropriate height for ease of use.
It would further be advantageous to provide a brake that keeps the wheelbarrow from moving while loading, especially on a sloped terrain.